My Father's Hand

Greg here.
I am trying to be attuned to hearing the Lord while here. I must say, it is very very difficult. There is so much busyness and hub-bub that it is hard to find time away. Even walking around (which we have done more of in the past few days than I have in the past year) is too hard to concentrate. There are just so many people and so many things going on. However, yesterday afternoon, I had a great moment of understanding our dear Father better.

Most of you know that Kailey tends towards the cautious and often fearful. She is doing and experiencing things that, well , I am just doing for the first time as well. Her comfort zone is not being streched; it is being exploded.

During our first few days, she really hung close. She almost always was holding an adult's hand and often had her body pressed up against ours. She has relaxed over our trip as her zone has expanded. She now is walking most places with no physical contact with us.

There was a moment yesterday where we were walking along and, I can't really explain how, but the environment changed. It was subtle, not tangible, and quite possibly Kailey and I were the only ones to notice. My internal security perked up right at the moment hers did. Certainly no one else in our group said anything, but Kailey and I definitely sensed something the others didn't. The moment was brief, perhaps just a minute long but it was there. And here is where I drew closer to God. It was not because of anything I did or any prayer I offered. In fact, I was too busy scanning my other internal sensors to lift anything to the Lord. But at that moment, Kailey responded just as subtly. She quietly slipped her hand into mine. That was it. No big fanfare and not even a word. She reached up, and slid the palm of her hand into the palm of my hand. And she was safe. Simply because she had her daddy's hand, nothing could harm her. Life lessons about her daddy's fragility will come later. For about a minute in her day, at a time when she really needed a loving touch, a secure touch, she reached for me.

Wow! I was so grateful to my Father for making me aware of these events that I almost started crying right there while walking down the street. How special for me to be used to protect one of His little ones.

I then thought of my Father's hand. He is always right there for me. There are times when I need him so badly that I press right up to him. While there are never times when I don't need Him at all, there are times when I am secure not being pressed right up to Him. However, when I become scared or need His touch, I can reach my hand quietly and place it right in His. And when I am there, nothing can come against me. I am safe. I am protected. I am loved. In that moment with Kailey, if something would have gone wrong, I would have laid my life down for my girl. I would not even have thought twice. My Lord laid His life down for me when something went wrong. I owe all to Him.